711.35/6–1546
The Ambassador in Argentina (Messersmith) to the Secretary of State
Dear Mr. Secretary: Supplementing my long letter on the Argentine situation51 which you will receive at the same time as this letter, I wish to make the following brief comment.
Whatever errors were made in the Argentine situation began long before Braden had anything to do with the problem, and so far as we are concerned, they began with certain naive assumptions by Sumner Welles.52 All the errors that have been made were made in good faith, whoever they were made by, and I do not think that we can make recriminations.
So far as Braden is concerned, he did make mistakes but they were all made in good faith and he was acting with the approval of the Department. There are some who nourish the thought at home that Braden should retire or could retire from the Department at this time, and I wish to tell you that it is my considered opinion still that any thought of this kind should be discounted completely. No matter what the criticism may be of Braden, I can assure you that it would do us infinite harm in the whole American picture and injure our program if he were to retire from the Department now, either voluntarily or at request. If sometime Mr. Braden wants to retire from the Department at an appropriate moment, that is another matter, but I do [Page 259] not think he could leave his post in the Department now or should be permitted to leave it now even if he so desires because I think the effects would be contrary to our program and the major objectives which we are seeking.
I am familiar with some of the personal feeling which exists on the part of a number of people on this matter, but I think in any matter of this kind we have to leave out of consideration all personal feeling for the issues at stake are too important. I personally have sincere friendship and high regard for Braden, and I have the greatest sympathy for him in the present situation, but I have made the above statements about not being able to leave the Department now or in the presently foreseeable future in cold blood.
Whatever errors he may have made were through overzealousness, but they were made with the best intentions and he was proceeding with the knowledge and the approval of the Department.
I believe we have a way out of this situation with all decorum and dignity and with all maintenance of principle, but I think we have to proceed keeping all the factors in mind and cannot complicate the problem which is already sufficiently difficult by creating any unnecessary difficulties or situation. It is for this reason that I have written this note as I think it is so important that Braden remain in the picture.
I am sending him a copy of the long letter on the Argentine situation which I have written you.
With all good wishes [etc.]